A Visit From Rodin

Laguna College of Art + Design’s (LCAD) gallery is showing 14 figures by the great Auguste Rodin, arguably the greatest sculptor to live since Michael Angelo. The exhibit is on loan from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation, the owner of the largest collection of Rodin sculptures in the world. Rodin redefined sculpture in many ways including his faithfulness and representation to and of nature, his expressively-modeled surfaces (using the surface to portray the emotion of his subjects), and by showing partial figures and fragments as complete works of art.

The story of how this Rodin exhibit ended up at LCAD is one of chance, or rather fate. Nearly one year ago Ryan Fisher, a trustee of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation, came to visit LCAD and was interested in taking a sculpting class. During his visit Mr. Fisher learned about the college and their commitment to the representational nature of sculpting, the idea that a sculpture tells a story, and that there is a narrative aspect to art. This of course is in line with Rodin’s impressionistic techniques and his mission to convey the human spirit through sculpture. LCAD’s new President, Jonathan Burke, was not aware of Mr. Fisher’s connection with to the Cantor Foundation when they first met that day, but when he mentioned his tie, a vision of having a Rodin exhibit in Laguna Beach was born. Mr. Fisher believed that if Rodin was a student today, LCAD would be is college of choice because of their commitment to impart the enduring language of representational art.

After many months of preparation, the 14-piece Rodin exhibit came to life at LCAD. It has been the highest attended show at the gallery in the history of the college. And no wonder! On my visit I was overcome with amazement of the beauty each figure held. The feeling of movement and emotion…the subtleties that brought them to life…just incredible! For instance one of Rodin’s most well-known ‘fragment’ pieces is “The Walking Man” which is a seemingly incomplete figure without a head. Yet, when you take the time to get to know him, he does not seem to be missing anything at all.

Lost Wax

Another part of the exhibit is a 10-piece step by step representation of the Lost Wax casting process. Most people don’t realize that the work of a finished sculpture is about 25% actual creation and 75% is the process of casting and bronzing. Lost Wax is an ancient casting process that allows the artist to accurately reproduce the nuances of the original model. This process can be sent and done at a foundry, but many individuals do not have the financial resources to do so, and therefore do many of the steps on their own.

The Cantor Foundation has a group of pieces that show ten of the steps of the Lost Wax process. In order to show how Lost Wax is done, the Cantor Foundation reversed the engineering process from a Rodin sculpture. Seeing this process in-person gave me an even greater appreciation of the labor that goes into producing these bronze sculptures.

This special and intimate Rodin exhibit at the LCAD gallery is a show you don’t want to miss! It is on display now through September 23, 2011. Admission is FREE.

Hurry to Laguna College of Art + Design for your chance to see the extraordinary works of Rodin up-close.

Gallery Hours

Monday - Friday 11:00 am - 5:00pm

Saturday by appointment only - 10:00 am - 4:00pm

Sunday Closed

By Anne-Marie S.

Laugh!

I was not sure what to expect when I decided to try laughter yoga. I have done the run-of-the-mill-yoga but had NEVER heard or even tried laughter yoga. So there I was, at 8 am walking down Main Beach toward bird rock. At that time it was so quiet on Main Beach with runners zooming by, surfers paddling out, and even a treasure hunter digging in the sand for dropped change. Then off in the distance I saw a group of people skipping about, throwing hands in the air and heads back with mouths open wide in laughter. I knew I had found the spot for Laughter Yoga.

I had arrived in the middle of a laughter exercise so I stood, a bit uncomfortably, on the sidelines. It is not everyday that you see adults frolicking around on the beach laughing. Once they finished the exercise a slight man walked over and said “welcome!” He had a face that radiated joy…a smile from ear to ear, bright eyes, and a warm voice that put me at ease. He explained that laughter yoga is not based on telling jokes or laughing at another person, but is based on using laughing as a form exercise and finding the joy within each of us. The practice of laughing has been found to relieve stress, release endorphins similar to the feeling of a “runner’s high,” help with digestion, and can even tighten up weak abs.

My first exercise was called ‘walking the dog,’ where you pretend you have a dog on a leash that is pulling you about. All the while you laugh and interact with other people’s dogs. Immediately everyone jumped right into the action of their dogs…I noticed some got tangled in imaginary leashes, others had two dogs that were pulling them in opposite directions, and some were even down close to their dogs laughing at the animal and kissing their faces. Of course all of this was acted out and done while laughing. At first I found myself forcing a laugh to come out, hesitant about how to really conduct myself in this quirky group. The next laughter exercise was ‘lion laughter,’ where you pretend to be a lion playing with other lions. Once our leader said, “pounce,” and we all began growling, sticking tongues out in the cool beach air, pawing the air and sand, and jumping about like lion cubs. I seriously did not know what to think at this point…I just let go and did it! I let myself act out each exercise given and in the process found myself authentically laughing. Laughing not from my throat, but from my belly and from my heart.

After doing a few more exercises we laid down on a blanket to practice some breathing techniques. I found my mind settling and all the worry of the week began to disappear. I could see the beauty of where I was in that moment…the waves crashing in the background, the sun warming my arms and face, the sand cool on my toes, the crystal blue skies.

I left laughter yoga with a smile, ear to ear, a sense of peace, and a feeling of renewal. As the streets began to fill up with people and the store fronts began to open up, I felt optimistic. I thought that they all didn’t know what they had just missed out on. I felt as if I had found a secret…one that was goofy but oh so exciting and uplifting. So next time you are in Laguna Beach on an early morning don’t miss out on laughter yoga.

The Laguna Beach Laughter Yoga club has had over 18,000 unique visitors attend their yoga sessions. They have been featured on Oprah, Geraldo at Large, Sanjay Gupta on CNN, and Today in LA.

For more information visit the Laguna Beach Laughter Yoga Institute website: www.lyinstiture.org

By Anne-Marie S.

  

5 Star Water Quality

Living in Southern California when I think of Summer, I instantly envision my kids running along the beach giggling and smiling…building sand castles…digging for sand crabs…looking for seashells…and of course splashing in the cool waters of the Pacific. But like all Moms I get concerned about what might be in that water my kids are playing in.

Then this week I read a wonderful story informing me of just how clean one of our great Southern California beaches is…Laguna Beach. The water quality for Laguna Beach was given a five star rating by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Did I mention that this was out of 5 possible stars? Yes, Laguna Beach received the highest water quality rating.

So fear not Moms, Dads, surfers, and all lovers of the Pacific, the waters of Laguna Beach are rated the cleanest in The OC by those in the know. You and your loved ones can wiggle your toes, dig for sand crabs, catch a wave, or swim to your heart’s content. So take advantage of this sunny weather and bring your family down to Laguna Beach!

By Anne-Marie S.